Delusion's Fantasy
by D. Wolfric
Summary: Ever wonder what happened to Yugi after Yami left? Did he return to the way he was before he met the spirit? Or did everything fall apart? Could he really be strong after losing the only person who truly knew him? -Please Review!-


**A/N:** This was brought on by something very tragic happening to me personally. That and lack of sleep. This goes along with 'Denial's Insanity', I hope you like it!

**Warnings: **Slight spoilers for the end of Yu-Gi-Oh and a very out of character Yugi, but he's entitled, ne?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, because if I did it wouldn't have ended the way it did.

Delusion's Fantasy

The day was beautiful. The sun shown brightly as the birds sang their lovely songs that seemed to prove that it was sometime in Spring. The days were beginning to warm, though they retained their Winter chill some days. Not this day though. This day was amazingly warm for the time of year that it was.

It was hard for a certain teen to care, however. His mask was beginning to slip, even as he convinced himself that he had it firmly in place. If he had known it would be like this, he would have never beaten him. He never would have won the duel that cause _him_ to leave.

Amethyst pools peered up at the sky before something akin to a scowl formed on his once delicate features. The sunny day seemed to mock him as much as the lack of clouds did. He wondered absently if he watched from where ever he was.

"Yug'!" He paused, the sound of heavy food steps coming close. Did he always have to run? Without thinking on that question much more, the mask slipped back into place.

"Hey Jounouchi," he replied with a well-placed smile. The blond couldn't tell it was fake. No one could.

"Do you wanna go to the arcade with me an' Hon'?" Jounouchi asked with a grin, unknowing of what he was possibly missing.

"No thanks, I promised grandpa that I'd help in the shop today," Yugi replied with what he knew would sound like regret.

The grin faltered on the blond's face before it quickly returned, "Okay, see ya at school tomorrow then." He said, waving once before he went on his way.

Yugi no longer felt bad when he had to lie to his friends. It was the only way he could get some time to himself after what had happened.

A faint sigh fell from his lips as he finished his not so long journey home. The tri-colored teen said nothing as he made his way though the shop and up the stairs to the apartment above. His grandfather was already used to these actions, so he just bushed it off. So Yugi could do what he wished and not be bothered.

With a soft click, he closed his bedroom door and moved to his desk. His mask finally fell completely. He hadn't any reason to keep it up when he was alone.

Where his features before appeared friendly and approachable, even kind; they were now distorted with sorrow and pain. He seemed distant to reality, which was better as far as he was concerned.

Yugi missed him. He missed the Pharaoh he had once referred to as Yami. '_Atem is his real name,'_ his mind corrected for him, but he paid it no real heed.

It was hard for him to accept that the elder man was actually gone. That he would never hear his voice in the back of his mind any longer. He would never see his faded form in front of him. That they would never again argue over small things. They would never again meet in one of their soul rooms just to talk. They would never again be one. Never be together again.

So Yugi didn't. He kept himself in a semi-permanent denial that it had happened. He had formed a delusion that when he spoke, Atem would answer him.

There was a portion of his mind that learned to mimic the Pharaoh's voice, just to keep the small teen in his little fantasy.

Despite this, however, Yugi still felt a deep sorrow for the loss of the only person to ever understand him so completely. Deep down he knew that Atem was gone and was never going to return. He often ignored that part of him though.

His friends didn't notice. Not one of them.

Jounouchi and Honda didn't treat him any differently; they thought he was strong. Anzu treated him as if he were fragile at first, but once his mask slipped into place; she too thought he was strong. He didn't know what Ryou thought, as he had gone missing near the beginning of Spring. Yugi didn't wonder what happened, he knew.

He wasn't strong like they thought. He was slowly crumbling down into nothing even as he talked to 'Atem' and fiddled with the chain he never removed. The puzzle no longer attached, the chain felt so much lighter.

…He hated it.

It seemed as if Yugi hated a lot of things lately. Not that it mattered much. 'Atem' didn't care if he hated anything. In fact, he seemed to encourage it.

"_Come and stay here with me,"_ 'Atem' would say to him. But each time he had to say no and re-emerge into the hated reality.

He needed to return with his mask in place, with his fake smiles, and broken promises. He no longer cared, however.

Had it been before the duel, he would have cared a great deal. For every broken promise and apology would follow. The smiles wouldn't have to be fake and Yugi wouldn't have to lie. He couldn't bring himself to let it bother him anymore.

The longer he stayed in his Fantasy, the harder it was to return to the harsh reality that had taken Atem away from him.

Eventually, Yugi began to reply; _"Just a little longer, then I have to leave._"

'Atem' never seemed to be pleased with '_just a little longer_' though. 'He' had began to ask the teen to remain with him even longer.

Soon Yugi had nearly forgotten about reality and what he needed to do. His delusion had seduced him into remaining in the fantasy he had formed for himself.

A small smile formed on his unconscious face, the first real smile that curved those lips since he defeated Atem in a duel.

He now lived solely in the fantasy his mind created for him. Where he and 'Atem' were together as if they had never parted.

Yugi no longer had to worry about the reality that plagued his waking mind, as his fantasy _became_ his reality.

"_I'll stay forever_" Yugi said to 'Atem' with a wide, true smile.

Nothing would be so horrible for the tri-colored teen anymore. He had 'Atem' with him. He didn't need anything more then his Delusion inside of the Fantasy his mind created.

All he needed was 'Atem'.

**~End~**


End file.
